The frigid air clawed at Ruq’s lungs with every breath he took. Though he was a hunter, his prey was no average animal and his pursuit had stolen him far from the village. The elders had beseeched him not to go - even if he could fell the great beast, the village would surely be cursed. Every year, the elders chose a child for sacrifice because - so they said - Maku the Great Bear demanded it. Ruq knew this, as did every person in the tribe. It was the way it had always been.
There were two days when Ruq truly understood the significance of his own life. The first was the day he was wed to Tiqri. On that day he realized that his life was a gift he could share with another person. The second day was the day his child was born. On that day he realized that his life was secondary. Then came the day when he was asked to sacrifice his own child. Had it been his own life, he liked to think he would have gladly given it. Tiqri pleaded with him to forsake the elders. She was a fire of rage and tears as Ruq ripped the child from her arms and as he did so he knew he was tearing away any love she had for him. The ceremony was as it always was. The child was dressed in a ceremonial pelt and the blood of an arctic hare was smeared across his forehead. After the rites had been uttered, Ruq returned to the village leaving his child alone in the snow.
Ruq was lost. All feeling of worth had been abolished, left to die in the snow with his son. When he returned home, Tiqri was gone. Ruq’s blood shot through his veins. He knew precisely where she had gone and he had to find her. He buried himself in his wolf fur coat, took his bow, quiver, and spear and left the village.
The eternal twilight of the north cast a mystical glow upon the snowy terrain. The otherwise white expanse was instead a sour yellow. Ruq ran until his legs felt as soft as the snow through which he trudged. The wind howled through the canyon and on its breath brought flakes of snow. The storm wasn’t bad enough that Ruq couldn’t follow his wife’s tracks, even if she did have a bountiful lead on him. What was her plan? No one could survive alone in the treacherous wilderness, let alone with a baby in tow. Ruq paused to catch his breath and noticed something else in the snow. It was a paw print but it was bigger than any he had ever encountered.
Ignoring the pleas of his muscles, Ruq continued. Overland snow travel was sluggish, even with the proper clothing. The passage of time was difficult to track but as a hunter, Ruq had learned how. The sun made a very specific voyage along the horizon. It never quite settled below the earth but it did move. That is how Ruq knew how far he had traveled. The storm was gaining momentum and Tiqri’s tracks became harder to follow. And then Ruq saw something that made his heart sink - drops of blood on the snow. She was close. He could hear her voice behind the wind’s curtain. Ruq forced his way faster through the snow.
There she was. Tiqri was on her knees, arms outstretched. There was blood on her hands and a knife in the snow beside her. She was pleading with someone or something, Ruq could not see through the wall of snow. She was offering herself as a sacrifice in place of their child. Ruq wanted to call out to her but was petrified she would run again. Then, as if solidifying into existence, a massive shape took form in the snow. No one had ever seen Maku before - Ruq had even doubted his existence at times. But there was no denying his eyes, the Great Bear now towered over Tiqri. The beast’s fur was even whiter than the snow around it. Had it been standing still, Ruq may have lost sight of it. But the eyes - the eyes revealed more than its incredible body ever could. Tiqri bowed her head to the snow in reverence or perhaps fear. The bear stepped closer and surveyed the scene almost quizzically. His expression was inexplicably human.
Maku leaned its head down toward Tiqri - who was shaking visibly - and let loose a snort that blew the woman’s hair back. This brought Ruq back into the world and he slid his bow off his back and knocked and arrow. Was this great beast even killable? The bear sniffed Tiqri again and then turned away. With a lumbering gait, Maku faded into the falling snow. Tiqri raised her head and screamed. It seemed the beast had not accepted her offer. Ruq ran to her before she could stand and chase down the bear. She was hysterical. Ruq dropped his bow and clutched her tight. She tried to fight him off but was too weak from the trek and blood loss. Tiqri heaved and howled against Ruq’s chest.
Ruq could hear something else though. Beyond her sobs, beyond the wind, he heard a faint cry. He lifted Tiqri’s head until her eyes met with his and then held a hand to his ear. Tiqri’s eyes grew wide with hope. Together, husband and wife strode into the storm towards the sound. The cries grew louder until they found its source. There in the snow lay their child crying out for attention. Tiqri collapsed to the ground and sheltered their baby from the cold. Her blood-stained hands dirtied the child’s face and arms as she pulled him closer. Ruq squinted and looked into the storm for some sign of the Great Bear but there was nothing but white.
Appeasement was written by Daniel Weinell and illustrated by Maribel Navarro.
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